ARCHEOLOGICAL, PROJECTS — STIRLING 377 



A cross-section was made through the smaller habitation mound; 

 the burial mound was completely excavated and as much of the 

 burial area was cleared out as the high water table permitted. The 

 material of which the burial mound was constructed was a mixture 

 of sand and shell, into which a considerable quantity of potsherds, 

 animal bone, and ash was mixed. Frequently, layers of pure shell 

 were encountered, but none of these extended completely through 

 the mound. The base, consisting of gray sand, was not more than a 

 foot above the salt water table. A few burials beneath the base lay 

 below the level of high water. During the course of excavations 185 

 skeletons were removed. The general structure and appearance of 

 the mound indicated that it had been built up gradually from village 

 refuse as the occasion for more burials required. All of the skeletons 

 were tightly flexed and, with the exception of one group of five 

 which had evidently been placed on the mound at the same time and 

 oriented in the same manner, there was little plan or order to the 

 placing of the bodies. 



There was a difference in level of 6 feet between the highest and 

 the lowest burials. No objects of any sort had been placed with the 

 bodies. The few artifacts which were removed had evidently 

 intruded accidentally as part of the village refuse from which it was 

 constructed. For this reason there was a large quantity of small 

 plain sherds of a rather crude type of pottery. Decorations occurred 

 in the form of incised patterns with the exception of a single sherd 

 which contained a stamped design of concentric diamond-shaped 

 figures. 



A trench 25 feet in width was carried into the center of the smaller 

 habitation mound. From the few simple artifacts recovered it is 

 presumed that this mound was contemporaneous with the burial 

 mound and was probably constructed by the same group. This 

 mound contained much less sand than the burial mound, and thick 

 layers of shell extended completely through from side to side. There 

 were extensive ash deposits at the base, but these were sterile except 

 for a small quantity of burned animal bone and shell. From this 

 excavation a large amount of plain sand-tempered potsherds were 

 found, as well as a quantity of animal bones. A single human tooth 

 was also discovered. Only half a dozen decorated sherds were 

 unearthed. All of these were decorated with angular designs in 

 incised lines. One well-made shell celt, a lump of kaolin presumably 

 intended for pottery making, a piece of red ocher, a broken bone awl, 

 two or three abrading stones, and a conch-shell bowl complete the 

 list of artifacts recovered from the trench. 



The burial area was revealed by excavations to be roughly circular 

 and about 40 feet in diameter. There were no indications of a mound 



